Games and Cults
by Vintage-22
Summary: Post Season 2 Finale. The Legion has created a new monthly tradition, the ultimate Game Night, held at the HQ. This month, they're playing an old game combo of Spin-the-bottle/Seven-minutes. Everything is going smoothly and according to plan until two Legionnaires out in the city are captured mysteriously. Who are these new foes? And what are they after . . . ?
1. Info

Takes place after the Season Two Finale. The Legion has started a monthly tradition. As many Legionnaires as possible head to Legion HQ to have their new ultimate Game Night once a month, while some Legionnaires volunteer to have monitor duty all night (and are rewarded with having two extra days off).

Several of the more perceptive Legionnaires have noticed things over the last few months. Secretive glances and subtle blushes. A little too much eagerness to go on patrol with a certain someone. With so many people in the Legion now, there's bound to be a few secret crushes here and there. . . .

This month, these perceptive Legionnaires manage to wrangle everybody in attendance into playing a game of Spin-The-Bottle/Seven Minutes, with a circle for the girls and a circle for the boys. If these Legionnaires had telekinetic powers to affect the outcomes (they can have their ships, can't they?), they would totally use them. Alas, none of them do. Maybe it's for the best. Or maybe not? Time to find out!

 _Note: There will be mention of some pairs that won't get a chapter, either because I don't know much about them or they were never developed enough in the show. If you want to know more about lesser-known Legionnaires, I suggest reading the comics. You'll discover just how much extensive history the Legion has. You may also notice that I have used some details here and there from the comics to help me flesh out the characters more than the show did and give reasons behind their feelings and actions._

 ** _Character Note: At the end of Season 2, both Supermen returned to their respective centuries and Brainiac 5 left the Legion. This story occurs about a year after the finale, and here Superman X (_ _Kell-El) and Brainiac 5 have returned to the Legion. They've been back for, say, two or three months. (Regular Superman might come back at some point. We'll see.)_**


	2. Chapter 1

Without a doubt, the best day of the month was the Legion's Game Night. Tinya was rather proud of the fact that she was one of the few people who had thought of the idea about a year ago, shortly after Brainiac 5 left the Legion. She had felt that the Legion needed something to help bond them and help them heal from the Imperiex ordeal. Furthermore, the Legion had bloomed into a massive team over the last few years and everyone was always too busy to be able to sit down and get to know each other. So when she, Triplicate Girl, Bouncing Boy, and Shrinking Violet suggested that there be a monthly game night for whoever was able to come, most of the Legionnaires were thrilled. Those who weren't were offered monitor duty and the promise of two extra days off every month as a reward. They happily agreed to it.

Tinya was still enjoying herself many months later. She had attended every single Game Night, and she'd had a blast every time. And, of course, the fact that a certain someone was there at most Game Nights certainly didn't hurt either.

Actually . . . if Tinya was completely honest with herself, _he_ was actually the reason she enjoyed the Game Nights so much. She hadn't always felt this way, though. It was a rather new development.

For a year, she'd had a bit of a crush on Timber Wolf, but that had passed. As much as she still cared deeply for him, she knew he was unpredictable and sometimes unstable. At this point, she was far more comfortable viewing him as a good friend.

Admittedly, she'd also briefly entertained secret interest in Ultra Boy years ago. As his ego had inflated over the years, however, her interest had waned to nothing. He was still quite the looker, but she knew what kind of attitude accompanied that dazzling physique, and it only caused her stomach to sour in disdain. Of all the Legionnaires, Ultra Boy was definitely one of her least favorites.

But _he_ , on the other hand, was something else altogether.

She sighed dreamily as she brushed her hair in her dorm room. Then she noticed the look on her face in the mirror and immediately flinched. A few months back and she would had laughed at herself now. A few months back, everything was normal. He was pretty much the way he had always been, except more mature. And taller. And more muscular. And––

Tinya shook her head roughly, trying to get a grip. She had to remind herself whenever her thoughts strayed down their lustful course that it wasn't his appearance that had changed her feelings toward him from neutral to desire. He had grown up in so many other ways. He was sweeter and more caring than he had been in years past when he only ever seemed interested in remaining aloof with everyone. He was less impulsive than he used to be. Now, more often than not, he would pause a split second longer before charging into a fight. He was also much more attentive in the Briefing Room. He thought things through and made helpful, intelligent suggestions rather than itching to jump into the fray like he once did.

Tinya put down her brush. She'd been brushing her hair absentmindedly for the last ten minutes, which only served to make it clear to her just how hard she had fallen for him these last few months. Watching his competitive side shine through at the Game Nights sent her heart racing. His mischievous grins and good-natured laughs made it hard for her to breath.

She blinked at herself in the mirror. She inhaled heavily, realizing that she'd momentarily forgotten how to breath just _thinking_ about him. A scarlet blush began creeping its way across her cheeks, and she placed her hands over them, feeling the unmistakable heat.

Yes, it was undeniable at this point. He truly took her breath away. The feeling felt so foreign and strange.

And yet . . . it felt so _right_.

* * *

By the time she left her room and headed toward the HQ's cafeteria, she had managed to quell the embarrassing heat rising within her. He probably wouldn't even be there tonight. She'd been told that he and his squad were only just returning from their latest mission and would probably be very tired when they arrived. So while she was excited for tonight, she couldn't help feeling disappointed. He had missed the last two Game Nights and she had only seen a glimpse of him in the last month and a half (not that she was keeping track).

Trying to keep a good-natured smile plastered on her face, she walked over to where Triplicate Girl was chatting with Timber Wolf about their patrol the night before. "Hey, you two," she called as she approached.

They turned to her with tired but friendly smiles. "You won't _believe_ what we saw, Tinya," Luorno said excitedly. "At 5AM this morning, we were heading back to HQ from patrol and saw the _Starweaver_ flying in!"

"The Sundown Squad is back already?" Tinya asked, already feeling her heart beat faster. That was _his_ squad . . . which meant he might have gotten enough sleep from then and now to attend the Game Night.

Hope flared in her chest as she continued to listen.

"Yes!" Luorno continued in a chipper tone. (Brin briefly caught Tinya's eye and gave her a knowing smile, smirking at Luorno's overly enthusiastic demeanor.) "And they brought back souvenirs! One of them was a chest full of dolls preserved from the 25th century. It was so cool!"

"Were there three of them?" Tinya asked, trying not to laugh too much.

Luorno tried to huff, but she ended up smiling even more. "Har har, very funny. It was actually really cool, Tinya. There even were pictures of the girl who owned them playing with them. It was so exciting to see something from the distant past like that."

Tinya hummed in agreement. She was about to respond when a flash of red nearby caught her eye. She turned her head to get a better view . . . and sure enough, it was _him_.

Next to her, Brin turned his head as well to see what had captured her attention. He smirked when he noticed who it was. Though people generally thought he was very reserved and introverted, he was by far one of the most observant and perceptive members of the Legion. And he had picked up on Tinya's not-so-small but well-kept secret crush.

Tinya didn't mind, though. He was the only one who knew, and he had never breathed a word about it to anyone. It was one of many reasons why they were such good friends. She could trust him with her secrets and he in turn could trust her with his.

"Is something wrong, Tinya?" Luorno said from behind her, not clued in to what was going on.

"Uh, sorry, Luorno, but someone I really wanted to see just showed up." She turned back to her friend, giving her an apologetic smile. "Do you mind if I . . . ?"

Luorno smiled pleasantly. "No worries. We can talk later." She turned back to Brin, who gave Tinya another amused smirk.

This time, though, Tinya didn't even see it. Her attention was fixed solely on the man that had walked in a minute ago. He was accompanied by several of his squad members. They all looked fresh and alert, which confirmed Tinya's hope that they had slept during the day in order to join everyone tonight.

Tinya was just about to call out a greeting to them when Bouncing Boy picked up his microphone at the other end of the room and asked for everyone's attention. Normally he would announce where the various board games and holographic games were set up and how many players each game could accommodate.

But this time he didn't.

This time he was blushing, and the mic in his hands kept slipping around in his sweaty palms. Finally, he cleared his throat. "I—er—received a request from several Legionnaires this morning that we do something a bit different tonight." Murmurs broke out in the large crowd. Bouncing Boy's blush darkened even further and he turned to the small group in question, giving them an imploring look. But the grins on their faces convinced Tinya that whatever they had planned for tonight would not be shot down. Bouncing Boy turned back to address everyone. "They've requested that we play an ancient game mix of Spin-The-Bottle and Seven Minutes. Those of you who are familiar with 20th and 21st century history will likely know what this is. They were popular games back then . . . for some reason." It almost seemed impossible for Bouncing Boy to get any redder, but he did. The crowd was getting rather curious now. "Basically, there is a bottle for the girls and a bottle for the boys. Each group spins the bottle to see who gets picked. The pair are given seven minutes in a closet to—erm—do as they like."

Peels of laughter rang out in the crowd, along with several gasps and startled cries. Many people's faces became redder, but not to the level of Bouncing Boy's face. Tinya's face, however, was somehow redder than his, and she hated herself for it. She hated how fast her thoughts had taken a dive down _that_ road. And it was made worse by the fact that the man she desired was standing not more than a few feet from her. If her mother could see her now. . . . Tinya cringed as she remembered a time when Winema had teased her about him. And that was _years_ ago. Her own mother, who was _clueless_ when it came to her daughter, had seen this coming!

Tinya wished she could disappear right then and there, especially when the man in question glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow at her red face. She quickly glanced away, desperately trying to quell the suffocating heat rising from her stomach.

"So," Bouncing Boy continued less-than-enthusiastically, "if everyone could split up into a boys group and girls group, we can fetch the bottles."

The Legionnaires did as they were instructed and sat on the floor in their respective groups. Bouncing Boy placed a bottle in the middle of each circle before settling down in the boys' circle.

Dream Girl took it upon herself to spin the girls' bottle while Sun Boy did so for the boys, and the game officially commenced.

Tinya stared nervously as the bottle spun around and around, making her feel dizzy, both from the motion and from the dread seeping into her. What if she was paired up with someone she didn't like? What if she was paired up with _him_ and it became awkward and she ruined her chances with him?!

She blinked several times, silently telling herself to calm down. She would not get frazzled over this. Bouncing Boy didn't say the pairs had to make out for the entire duration. In fact, he didn't say anything of the sort. There were implications, sure, but––

Suddenly the bottle came to a stop, and with a quiet sigh of relief Tinya realized it was pointing to Dawnstar. Maybe people would get tired of the game before she got a turn. Maybe––

Several cheers broke out among the boys' group when they saw Dawnstar stand up. She smirked at them, reveling in the ego-boosting appreciation.

Another sigh of relief escaped Tinya when the bottle picked Colossal Boy to be paired with Dawnstar. She realized that an even worse fate would be if her crush was paired with someone else and she had to helplessly watch him disappear into a closet with another girl.

Bouncing Boy had a brief, quiet discussion with the group that picked the game before standing up to make another announcement. "There are plenty of rooms in the HQ, and, in the interest of getting to other games tonight, we will have two pairs leave at a time." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Girls, if you could spin your bottle again . . ."

Dream Girl good-naturedly spun their bottle again while the boys did the same. The anxiety quickly rose in Tinya's stomach. Now there was no chance that she would get out of this without a turn . . . or that her crush wouldn't be paired up with somebody. Although maybe she could––

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt when the bottle stopped in front of her, pointing at her. She silently gulped, slowly stood up, and turned to face the boys' group.

Her eyes widened when she discovered that the boys' bottle had picked someone and that he was already facing her. Her heart felt as though it skipped several beats, and she found herself once again unable to breath.

Lightning Lad was standing across from her.

* * *

Their trip to the nearest closet down the hall was horribly silent. Tinya was biting her lip like there was no tomorrow, trying to keep her breathing under control, and desperately, _desperately_ trying to keep the blush on her face from becoming too noticeable.

Her heart skipped another few painful beats when they arrived at the closet. Garth opened the door for her without a word, his eyes looking at anything but her.

If Tinya had been in any frame of mind to think clearly, she might have wondered why he was acting so strange and subdued. Alas, she was too busy wondering when the hell she had ever gotten to the point where she couldn't even speak to him. Just a few months ago they had been cheerfully discussing stupid headlines they had seen on the news or laughing at how silly some of the Legionnaires' uniforms looked.

After Garth stepped into the closet, he closed the door behind them, plunging the closet into a gray darkness. A sliver of light peeked in from under the door, allowing them to see other's silhouettes, but nothing more.

As they stood in deafening silence, Tinya shifted her feet to try to lean against one of the walls to wait out the seven minutes. Unfortunately, when she did so, she accidentally knocked over what felt like a mop handle.

Garth cried out, startling her, before hissing in pain.

It was enough to break her out of her stupor, at least. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"

He hissed again and bent over slightly. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just give me a minute."

After a moment, she realized where the mop handle must have hit him. She cringed and her face flared up again. Thankfully she didn't have to worry about him seeing it now. "Oh," she said, trying to keep her voice from squeaking. "I see." She shifted uncomfortably. "Sorry."

She saw his silhouette straighten up, and this time his voice sounded less strained. "Don't worry about it."

"If you say so."

Several more silent seconds ticked by. Tinya went back to biting her lip, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Eventually, Garth cleared his throat. "Okay, I'm not sure if I'm making you uncomfortable or if something else is really bothering you, but can you please explain––"

"No, no, no! You're not making me uncomfortable!" Tinya rushed to reassure him, unable to let him continue to think he was doing anything wrong.

"Really?" he asked incredulously. "Because I can't a remember a time when you acted like this. I mean, it's almost like you're . . . _afraid_ of me or something."

Her breath quietly hitched in her throat. "I'm not afraid of you, Garth. I could never be. I––" She quickly shut her mouth, her eyes widening at what she had almost admitted.

Unfortunately, Garth noticed something was up. "You . . . what?" he prompted.

She shook her head, taking a half-step back, even though all she wanted was to be closer to him. "Nothing. It's nothing."

A few seconds of silence went by. Then: " _Tinya_."

Her breath hitched again and this time he heard it.

He stepped carefully toward her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. " _Tinya_ ," he said, more sternly this time.

Heat immediately rose in her stomach at his touch, especially since both of his hands were flesh now. (A few months back, a new hero joined the Legion who had incredible healing superpowers, and was able to re-form his right arm.) The heat from them mixed with her own, and somehow she felt slightly emboldened by his proximity.

In the few seconds it took for her to respond in some way, she realized that this may be her only chance to get what she wanted. And besides, even if he didn't like it, it wasn't as though this could get anymore awkward and uncomfortable, right?

She leaned forward before she could talk herself out of it and pressed her lips firmly against his, placing her hands on his chest.

Garth stiffened in shock for a few seconds.

But then he leaned into her, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her closer. She was unable to stifle a moan of pleasure when he did so. He stiffened again, but when she gently bit his bottom lip, he practically melted into her, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.

This sent heat blazing throughout Tinya's body, and she shifted so that there wasn't even a sliver of space between their hips. The movement caused a small moan to escape Garth's lips. She bit down on his lip a little harder, hoping to elicit that sound again. It did such pleasant things to her.

His breath hitched and then a low growl rumbled in his throat. He pushed her back against the wall, and she responded by wrapping one of her legs around his, keeping them tightly pressed together.

Eventually he broke the kiss and instead trailed his lips along her jaw, eliciting breathy sighs from Tinya. She couldn't think. She could barely even process what was happening. The only thing that registered was that everything felt amazing.

She shivered when she felt him lower his right hand to trail down her raised leg. The other went up her back, his fingers grazing along the sensitive points of her spine. She arched into him and slid her own hands behind his neck. She felt him gently nip the base of her neck and her fingers clenched, kneading at his spine.

After several moments, she reached for the small zipper under his chin, realizing for the first time (she'd been too distracted before) that, while she was in her civilian clothes, he was still in his suit. She pulled away slightly to get a better angle and yanked it down several inches. Before she could even think about what she was doing, she placed one of her hands against his bare chest and spread out her fingers, biting her lip as the pleasure coursed through her.

Garth froze, shocked at her forwardness. He moved his head away from her shoulder to face her, even though neither of them could see the other's expression in the semi-darkness.

A split second later, Tinya realized her mistake. "Ah! Sorry! I should've asked first. I––"

He placed a finger against her lips. When he spoke, his voice was half an octave lower than it normally was, and it sent heat flashing down her spine. "You didn't need to. I just wasn't expecting it."

Tinya paused, mulling over the implications of what he said. After a moment of hesitation, she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "So you wouldn't mind if I pulled the zipper down another few inches?"

His breath hitched, and he was about to reply when the closet door was yanked open. Blinding light flooded in, and they snapped their eyes shut. After a few seconds, they blinked them open again.

Brin was standing at the door with a smug, knowing look spread across his face. "As much as I hate to do this, your seven minutes are up. If you want to continue, you'll have to wait until Game Night is over." He turned to leave, but quietly added, "If you need a few minutes to collect yourselves, I'm sure the others will understand." With a wide grin, he strolled back toward the cafeteria.

It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on Tinya. Her mind started working again and it only took her about half a second to make several heart-stopping realizations: one, she had just made out with Garth for most of the seven minutes; two, he had been just as into it as she had, which likely meant he had feelings for her; and three, he had seemed perfectly happy to continue with where things had been going.

A fiery blush painted her cheeks and she quickly untangled herself from Garth, knowing that they would never be able to calm down if they were still pressed against each other. "I think I definitely need those few minutes," she said breathlessly.

Garth turned to look at her for a moment, his eyes searching hers. "When did this start?"

Tinya frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure you didn't have feelings for me before."

She nodded. "A few months. I didn't say anything 'cause I thought you were still hung up on Imra."

He pursed his lips. "I got over her about a year ago. She still wasn't interested after all these years and I got tired of waiting. I went several months without even _thinking_ about romance." He smirked a little, absentmindedly zipping his suit back up before continuing. "But then you came back from Bgtzl, and you seemed . . . different."

Tinya gave him a small smile. "I've changed over the years just as you have, but I don't think you were really _looking_ at me before." She leaned forward and kissed him softly.

Garth smiled, leaning his forehead against hers. "I am now."

* * *

 **Author's Note: There will be five chapters for the StB/Seven Minutes game, with a different couple each time. After that, there will be other games and maybe some combat action.**


	3. Chapter 2

Nura was having a good day up until Bouncing Boy announced the silly game the Legion would be playing on their latest Game Night. She wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the idea of kissing some random Legionnaire in a closet for seven minutes. Even among the men who were mature enough for her tastes, she still had no interest in anyone.

Well . . . except for maybe one. _Maybe_. But hell would have to freeze over three times before she would ever admit she was _sort of_ interested in him. She felt like such an awful cliche––she hated that she loved him (although that was too strong a word), and loved hating her feelings.

She wanted to deny it. She really _, really_ did. Especially with how tainted their past encounters were. Especially with how much of an arrogant jerk he could be. Or used to be, anyway. If asked, she'd have to begrudgingly admit that he'd gotten better over the last year.

When she spun the bottle a second time and then watched as Lightning Lad and Phantom Girl left the cafeteria together, her stomach knotted painfully. She knew, right then and there, that she couldn't lie to herself anymore.

She just couldn't believe she'd ever be even _somewhat_ interested in a man she'd once found so irritating and unfairly judgmental. But ever since she found out the reason behind his unfriendly treatment of her, she couldn't help but look at him differently. And the fact that he had swallowed his pride and apologized to her certainly made her feelings harder to control.

She sighed quietly as she spun the bottle again several minutes after he left with Tinya. As she watched the bottle spin round and round, she tried to convince herself that she didn't care. She had no business wanting him that way. She knew for a fact that he did not reciprocate at all. Just because he had apologized and forgiven her didn't mean he would flip a 180 and develop romantic feelings for her.

As the bottle slowed to a stop in front of Shadow Lass and she wondered off with Star Boy, Nura couldn't help but wonder if her attraction to Garth was more rooted in curiosity than in anything else. The thought certainly made her pause and stare at a wall for several seconds. Was it the fact that he had always been a bit of a mystery to her? No, there were plenty of men in the Legion that she knew little about. What else could it be, then? Was she curious about what it be like to have him when she knew full well she never would? Was she one of those women who always wanted what they could never get? Did she––

"Nura, it's pointing at you," someone said.

She blinked, turning her attention back to game. While she'd stared off into space, someone must have spun the bottle for her. Across the room she saw Colossal Boy and Dawnstar walk into the cafeteria, followed shortly by Lightning Lad and Phantom Girl. Apparently, it had been seven minutes already. She must not have made the connection when she spun the bottle for Shadow Lass half a minute ago.

She then looked down at the bottle and, sure enough, it was pointing at her. She held back a sigh and stood up, turning to see who she got paired up with.

Her eyes widened when she noticed who was staring back at her. He was not one of the men she was expecting. She couldn't even recall noticing him earlier.

Kell-El shifted uncomfortably and tilted his head toward the door. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

* * *

The trip to the closet was uneventful and completely silent, which didn't surprise Nura. She didn't know much about Kell-El, but she did know one thing from what other people had said about him: he wasn't very talkative. He was a background type until he was on the battlefield, at which point he became the Legion's fiercest member. But even in both situations, he never wasted words and was always very curt.

When they entered an unoccupied closet and shut the door behind them, the silence persisted. But after about a minute, Nura couldn't take it anymore.

"If we're going to be stuck in here six more minutes," she said, "can we at least talk about something to pass the time?"

She saw his silhouette shift uncomfortably again. "Like what?"

"I don't know. _Something_. How about . . . what was it like in the 41st century before Imperiex was defeated?"

Kell-El was quiet for a moment. Then: "Difficult."

Nura raised an eyebrow, although she knew he couldn't see it. "How so?"

He shrugged. "People got in the way."

She bristled. "What do you mean?" Was he really that arrogant and apathetic? Did he really just––

"I had to be careful where I aimed my blasts."

The anger seeped out of her when she realized that she had read him wrong. "Oh," was all she could think to say. Guilt gnawed a bit at her stomach.

He leaned back against the opposite wall of the closet and didn't say anything else, turning his head to stare at the door.

After another silent minute, Nura began to fiddle with her hands. She didn't know enough about Kell-El to ask any other decent questions and now she had more time to go in circles with her thoughts. Now she had time to wonder if maybe she wanted Garth because she wanted to know what satisfaction felt like––the satisfaction of having someone despite her past and despite her flaws. And maybe she really _was_ curious––curious to know what it was like to have a man. In all her years as Madame Mysterious and now as Dream Girl, she'd never really devoted any time to pursuing any men. Now that things had slowed down a bit for the Legion, more of her shifts were spent on monitor duty, which entailed a lot of staring into space. She wasn't lonely or desperate. She was just really curious. And maybe it didn't have anything to do with Garth at all.

"Hey, Kell?" she asked after another minute. He only made a small noise of acknowledgement. "Can we try something?"

He turned his head. "What do you mean?"

She shifted awkwardly. "Well . . . since we're stuck in here . . . we could, you know, see if there are any sparks?"

He folded his arms across his chest. "We've never talked before this."

"I know, but I'm bored. I don't know what to ask you about and there's nothing else to do in here." She stepped closer to him, trying to think of any way she could make herself more appealing to him. "Aren't you at all curious?"

"Curious?" he echoed incredulously. _Ouch_ , that hurt. "What is there to be curious about?"

She paused a moment, then took another step toward him. Maybe it was because of the way he was brought up. His whole life before, and even a little bit during, his time with the Legion was centered around combat. Romance had probably never crossed his mind in all those twenty some years. Any lust he may have felt under normal circumstances had likely been buried beneath his sense of duty and purpose for all those years. Perhaps he didn't know how to rekindle his natural desires at this point.

Nura stepped even closer to him, a bit of heat swirling in her stomach. Maybe she could make him remember. Maybe _she_ could reignite a fire that had died inside him so many years ago.

Kell-El noticed how close she was getting and shifted uncomfortably again. "Nura, what do you think you're––"

She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled his head down to hers. She felt him stiffen when she pressed her lips against his, but she didn't feel him pull away. Steeling her resolve, she pressed her whole body against his, willing him to remember what he had lost, what he had been missing out on for all these years.

When he still didn't relax or reciprocate in any way, Nura felt her stubborness rear its ugly head. Maybe she would make him uncomfortable in the process. If that was what it took, so be it. Dammit, she was curious now, and she wasn't about to give up!

She pulled her lips away and bent her head to kiss the pulse-point at the base of his throat. He stiffened again, but this time his breath hitched. Encouraged by this, she pulled the zipper of his suit down just enough to do it against his skin this time. His arms fell away from his chest, and she was able to press herself closer to him. He still remained rigid, but a small gasp escaped him when she gently sucked at the base of his neck.

"What are you trying to do?" he asked, his voice a bit lower than usual. It wasn't breathless like she'd hoped, but the fact that he was affected by her attention seemed like a small victory.

"I'm curious to see how much it'll take for you to remember."

Kell-El hissed when she lightly bit down on the same spot she was giving so much attention to. "Remember what?"

She looked him in the eye, and, even in the darkness, she could see a hint of a glow in his. She leaned forward to whisper in his ear, trying to make her voice as seductive as possible, "What desire feels like."

"What do you––"

She silenced him once again by claiming his lips with her own, tilting her head to get a better angle. He didn't stiffen this time, but he still wasn't reacting.

Trying not to grin at this intriguing challenge before her, she deviously ran her tongue along his lips, eliciting a startled noise from him that was muffled by the kiss. At the same time, she trailed a hand down his chest, secretly blazing inside from how amazing it felt.

She felt him lean into her and awkwardly place his hands on her waist. Further encouraged by this, she gently tugged his bottom lip between her teeth and sucked. She felt his fingers clench, digging into the base of her spine, sending a wave of pleasure coursing through her. She arched into him and pressed herself even closer, noticing that his body felt much warmer now than it did just a minute ago. Excited by this realization, she released his bottom lip and teased his mouth with her tongue again, this time with a purpose. As she did so, she slid her hands up into his hair, tugging it slightly and clawing gently at his scalp.

Finally, she managed to elicit a small moan from him. He leaned into her further, no longer needing to be shown what to do. He just knew.

He opened his mouth for her and tilted his head. After a few seconds of letting her have what she wanted, he spun them around so that _her_ back was against the wall instead. His hands slid down to her hips.

She moaned softly to let him know much she liked that. She was about to––

 _Knock! Knock!_

"I'm coming in," Bouncing Boy's voice drifted through the door. They quickly broke apart as he turned the knob. His eyebrows shot up when he noticed that they were both red, out of breath, and still standing close to each other. He seemed to be particularly amused by the state Kell-El was in. He chuckled quietly.

Kell-El's expression hardened. " _Don't you dare_ ––"

Wiping away a non-existent tear, Chuck asked, "Why are you all red, Tough Guy?"

Kell-El pursed his lips and walked out of the closet, heading toward the dorm rooms' elevator at the end of the hall.

Nura gave Chuck an annoyed look before running to catch up with Kell-El. When she did, she grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. His expression softened ever so slightly when he saw that it was her. Knowing that she had earned that, she couldn't help herself when she stood on her tip toes and gave him a lingering kiss. He leaned down to make it easier for her and she felt herself melt a little inside at the consideration. He really did have a heart buried in there somewhere.

And maybe it wasn't just curiosity that made her want it.

When she broke the kiss and opened her eyes, staring up into his, she realized this was more than that. She wanted _him_.

* * *

 **Author's Note: There will be five chapters for the StB/Seven Minutes game, with a different couple each time. After that, there will be other games and maybe some combat action.**


	4. Chapter 3

**I'm so sorry it took so long to update. I wrote about half of this back in the Summer, but then had major writer's block. Finally had some inspiration recently and was able to finish it. Hopefully updates will be more consistent and frequent from now on, but I can't guarantee anything. Anyway, hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

* * *

Imra wasn't sure what to expect tonight. She'd never been to one of the Legion's Game Nights, and despite hearing many things from several Legionnaires, she was still weary of what might go down.

Her fears were confirmed when Bouncing Boy announced the Seven Minutes game and she found herself watching bottles pick the women around her one by one.

This wasn't a good idea. She should have just agreed to monitor duty again. It wasn't like she was very interested in playing games, and she certainly was _not_ liking where this particular game was heading.

But, of course, she wasn't here because she wanted to be. Triplicate Girl had insisted for two whole weeks that she attend, and with that kind of persistence, who was she to say no to a friend?

Nervously, she bit her lip as Dream Girl got up and walked into the hall with Kell-El. Seven minutes went by in a blink and soon the bottle was spinning again.

She let out a quiet groan when the bottle pointed at her. Reluctantly, she stood up and faced the boy's circle. Her eyes momentarily widened when she saw who she'd been partnered with, but then her shoulders sagged with relief.

It was Timber Wolf. At least he was someone she could trust.

He gave her an apologetic smile. "Shall we?"

* * *

As they approached the closet, Brin gently placed a hand on her wrist to get her attention. She looked at him expectantly, one of her eyebrows raised.

"I know this is technically against the rules," he whispered, "but if you'd feel more comfortable just walking and talking around the HQ, we could do that instead."

The tension in her body melted away and her shoulders sagged again. She clasped her right hand over his, keeping it on her left wrist. She gave him an appreciative smile. "I'd definitely prefer that, if you don't mind."

He nodded understandingly, and they headed toward the elevators at the end of the hall.

After he pressed the button for the top floor, he looked over at her for several moments, as if figuring out what to say.

Imra decided to help him out a little. "So I heard from Luorno that the two of you had a rather peaceful patrol this morning."

Brin leaned back against the elevator's handrail with a small smile on his face. "Yeah, it was nice. The city is really pretty at night and it was relaxing to be able to just enjoy it without any trouble brewing."

Imra gave him a funny look. " _Brewing?_ "

Brin chuckled quietly and looked down at the floor, slightly embarrassed. "We passed a witch shop. Luorno insisted we check it out for a few minutes. She found this chest full of books from the 24th century."

Imra giggled a bit. "Ah, yes. She might've _mentioned_ it to me." Brin smirked knowingly at her. "She was quite fond of the whole thing. Said she bought two of them."

Brin chuckled again as the elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the small courtyard at the top of the HQ building. "I _might_ have helped her pay for them. They were rather expensive and she––"

Imra gasped incredulously at him, lightly punching his left shoulder. "Brin! You shouldn't encourage her! For heaven's sake, she spends enough already without you enabling her." She shook her head, amused and concerned at the same time.

Brin simply smiled. "It was a gift. And I enjoyed the look on her face when she got to carry them out of the shop."

They walked to the edge of the roof and leaned against the stone barrier. The city blazed with light around them, shimmering and sparkling under the dark sky. Flying cars sped to and fro. The din of millions of people exploring and talking and walking and enjoying themselves filled the air. In every direction, there were countless events taking place, things to do, places to be, wonders to behold. It was a magical city all around––one that was literally buzzing with life and activity.

"I wish we could see the stars here in the city," Imra said after several moments of quiet appreciation. "It's always so amazing to stand out in the woods on my home planet and see the galaxies of stars. I feel so connected with everyone, and the universe doesn't seem so vast and cold. It's almost like seeing the stars erases the distance between them and myself."

Brin nodded in acknowledgment, looking up at the sky with her. After another minute or two, he chuckled quietly. "You know, our seven minutes are probably up by now."

Imra shrugged, feeling too happy and relaxed to care. She turned to him. "Do you want to go back inside? I'm thinking I'm going to go out and walk around the city for an hour or two and just . . . enjoy it."

Brin smiled. "Would you mind if I came with you? I hear there's a late-night showing of that one movie that Bouncing Boy really likes–– _Tombs of the Pharaohs_ , I think it was."

Imra laughed. "Oh no! Not you too. Don't tell me you're into that?"

Brin shrugged, amusement glittering in his amber eyes. "Well, I don't know. I haven't see it yet."

"All right," Imra giggled, floating over the barrier with her flight ring and leisurely descending to the street far below, with Brin following soon thereafter. "We can go see it. What time is the showing?"

Brin checked his ring for the time. "Well, it's almost 11:00 PM now, and it's at midnight."

"Well, it looks like I'll get that hour-long walk after all."

* * *

Fortunately, when Imra and Brin decided to spend time in the city, they were already in their civilian clothes. Imra couldn't help wondering as they passed by countless stores and theatres and casinos if people on the streets would stare at them if they had their Legion uniforms on. She'd heard from Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, and Kell-El that they were often harassed on the streets by overzealous fans (and even critics, sometimes) and tourists from other planets whenever they walked the streets in uniform. As such, she was very glad she blended in with the crowd now. Even Brin did, since so many species mingled in the streets of one of the largests cities in the Milky Way galaxy. Her mind was also put at ease with the way Brin stuck close to her side, always keeping an eye out so that she could simply enjoy herself. It was so nice knowing that he had her back like this.

As midnight approached, they began making their way to the theatre that Brin said was the one with the showing they wanted. But as they neared the entrance, Brin halted abruptly. Imra turned to see what was up.

"Something's wrong," he whispered, pulling her close to him. His nose was twitching as he turned his head in every direction, clearly trying to pinpoint a scent.

"Haven't smelled it before, but there's something off about it." His eyes dilated as he discovered the direction the scent was coming from.

"How so?" Imra asked, nervously glancing around, then focusing on where he was looking.

"There are ten of them," he replied, his ears now twitching. "And they––" He abruptly swung his head around, causing Imra to duck to avoid being hit. His ears flattened against his head. "We need to go."

By now, some people were starting to stare at Brin in bewilderment. A few of them clearly recognized him and were put on edge by his behavior.

Loudly, Brin announced, "I suggest everyone get inside for their own safety."

Those who knew who he was obeyed without question. The rest hesitated but ultimately followed the others inside the theatre.

"Should we split up to look for them?" Imra asked.

"Yes, but make _sure_ the distress button on your flight ring is on. I have a bad feeling about this."  
"Perhaps we should contact the HQ?"

He nodded, and they both sent out distress signals to the Legion.

"All right," Brin said, "I'll go south and you go north. Sound good?"

"On it," Imra responded as she flew above the tops of the buildings.

After several minutes of carefully flying around and keeping her eyes peeled, she finally decided to descend to the ground and carry on her search on foot. It was much more likely that unsavory creatures would prefer to sneak among the shadows on the ground.

She checked one alleyway and then another. She did this several times before kicking a pebble on the ground in frustration.

Just then, her flight ring began subtly blinking. She tapped the left side of it twice to take the call.

"Saturn Girl, this is Matter-Eater Lad. What seems to be the problem?"

"Timber Wolf and I are currently out in the city. We were just about to enter a theatre to see a late-night showing when he smelled something unsettling. He said there were ten or more creatures whose scent he couldn't recognize, and he mentioned that there was something very off about them. We've since split up and are searching the city, but we think we should have some backup. We wouldn't want some new species slipping our notice. They could be here to attack or steal something important."

"Agreed. I'll send out two legionnaires for each of you. I just need you and Brin to send me your locations."

Imra was about to reply when something flashed past her in her periphery. Nervously, she stepped as close to the street as she could, wanting to be in as a bright and busy a spot as possible. Her eyes darted around, checking the spot she had been standing in previously. Nothing seemed to be afoot.

"Imra? Imra, are you still there?"

"Something's following me," she hissed, her voice hitching with creeping fear.

"Imra, I can't help you unless you send me your location."

Quickly, she focused on her ring and tapped the right side three times to send her coordinate location, then continued looking around.

"All right, I've received it. If you think it's a good idea, why don't you come back to the HQ and then I'll send legionnaires back to the spot you're currently at right now?"

"Yes," Imra replied shakily, "I think that's a good idea. I don't have heightened senses like Brin does. I don't have any idea where this creature is or if it's––"

Suddenly a small object hurled toward her and embedded itself in her flight ring. It began to beep incessantly.

Shrieking, Imra yanked her ring off and threw it to the ground. She bolted away from it and cried, "Bomb! Everyone run!"

Three seconds later, the device exploded like a powerful grenade. Unfortunately, it had been next to the street and blasted two ground cars going by. Shrapnel went flying everywhere.

But the shock wave from the blast hit Imra and several other passersby with tremendous force. It pummeled them into the ground, knocking several people out.

Imra remained awake, but her head was pounding and her body ached on both sides, one side from the ground and the other from the shock wave.

As her vision faded, she watched in horror as several shadowy figures raced out of a nearby alleyway toward her. Her eyes then closed fully and the last thing she was aware of before everything went black was the sound of their whispery laughter.


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey, all! I apologize for taking almost two months to update this, but I've been busy with other projects and I honestly didn't come up with the idea for this chapter until literally yesterday night. And then I was on such a roll that I stayed up until 5AM working on it. lol Anyway, just finished it today. Hope you all enjoy it, and I'll see you all at the next update. :)**

* * *

Salu frowned in concentration as she carefully moved her electronic scalpels from the left side of the mechanical arm to the right side. She'd been working since dawn this morning on upgrading the arm Lightning Lad used to wear, and now she was beyond exhausted. She finished a circuit and then glanced at the clock. It was almost 11PM. The Game Night must be already in full swing, and she was missing all the fun.

She groaned, put down her tools for a moment, and rubbed her bloodshot eyes with the back of her hands. As much as she enjoyed working on this masterpiece of an arm (no thanks to Brainiac 5's brilliant original design), she could only focus for so long. The only reason the original arm had been finished so quickly was due to Brainy's uncharted intelligence (which he thankfully still had), his then robotic nature, and the subsequent fact that he could, if left to his own devices, work for countless hours (and sometimes even days) without any breaks. Of course, the fact that Garth's life had been hanging on by a thread at the time of the arm's construction, regardless of what any of the other Legionnaires were told, certainly gave the situation a sense of urgency.

Since then, much had changed. Brainy had left the Legion shortly after he was cured of Brainiac 1.0's influence and emerged in a new human form. Garth had been healed by the newest Legionnaire and the mechanical arm was carefully removed from his shoulder. Brainy had returned to the Legion after a year of "finding himself," as he had put it. Shortly after his arrival, Garth had approached him and Salu about possibly modifying the mechanical arm so that he could attach it to his flesh arm at will as a power-boosting accessory. He had grown used to the explosive power it had given him, and figured it would put the otherwise unusable arm to good use, since the arm had been specifically designed to enhance his bioelectrical powers and wasn't compatible with any other Legionnaire.

Salu rubbed the fingers of one of her hands along the palm of her other hand, then moved on to massaging each of her fingers' joints. The muscles in her hands with stiff from holding her tools so tightly for so long, and now they ached as well. The joints throbbed with each flexion and extension of the muscles. She briefly considered heading to the medical bay of the Legion HQ to get an ointment for her hands, but quickly dismissed the idea. She wanted to work for one more hour before calling it a day, and _then_ she could get the ointment.

As she massaged her hands, she walked over to the work bench next to the one that the mechanical arm was resting on. She studied the new design she had drawn up. The diagrams and illustrations she'd drawn were nowhere near as neat and organized and efficient as she remembered Brainy's design had been, and, not for the first time that day, wished he were here in the lab to help her. Unfortunately, he was currently busy in the medical bay analyzing the machines there and taking notes on the changes he wanted to make to improve their efficiency, effectiveness, handling, and safety.

Salu was supposed to be helping him with that, but she had prioritized Garth's request since she figured it would be a much shorter project and she would quickly be able to get it out of the way and return to her normal duties without much of a hitch.

Or so she had thought.

She had allotted herself two days to work on and finish the arm. Today was the second day and she was fast approaching the beginning of a third, and she had only just gotten past the stage of disassembling the old systems and parts of the original arm and constructing the new, lighter version. The new arm accessory needed to be much thinner in order to fit _around_ Garth's arm, rather than replace it, yet it had to perform the same function of enhancing his power (minus launching rockets and carrying other bulky knick-knacks the original had). It also couldn't rely on having titanium membranes attached to the neural sheaths in Garth's shoulder and receiving direct signals from his brain like before. This was the area still giving her trouble. She had designed the rest of the gadget without many problems: despite the decreased working space for the circuits and other mechanical components, she had managed to get it to receive electrical currents running through the accessory and output a greater voltage at a slightly greater velocity. That, in and of itself, she was proud of. Previously, Brainy had designed that function, and she had had to go off his complicated designs and figure it out for herself. But the remaining problem was that she didn't know how to get the accessory to receive the electricity from Garth. So far, it seemed that he could only release his electrical energy through his hands, specifically through his fingertips. . . .

Salu's eyes widened as she continued staring at her design sheets. _Of course!_ She could extend the bottom of the accessory past the back of his hand and have it wrap around his hand completely, encasing his fingers like a metal glove and incorporating input gates into the fingertips of the glove. That way these gates would "plug" into his fingers, the energy source, and create a sort of power bar contraption, just like plugging a power cord into an outlet like in centuries past.

She sat down on one of her stools and began writing notes furiously, worrying that she might not be able to remember this revelation tomorrow morning when she got back to work on the arm. As she wrote, she realized that she would need to improve the efficiency of the accessory even further. The whole gadget, from top to bottom, was needed in order to output the enhanced power. The current would need to travel from Garth's fingertips up to the shoulder area and then back down to his hand, where the enhanced lightning bolt could be released. She knew that any lag between when his brain chose to fire a lightning bolt and when the bolt was actually released from the accessory needed to be kept extraordinarily low. In battle, it could mean the difference between missing an important target, saving another Legionnaire, and preventing injury to himself or even death.

With all these heavy thoughts on her mind, she continued to work until it was only a few minutes to midnight. She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice when Brainy walked quietly into the lab to shut off the lights.

He let out a surprised noise when he saw that she was still there, wholly focused on her notes and designs.

She startled at the noise, her head whipping around and her pencil clattering onto the workbench. Her eyes widened when she noticed who it was. "What are you doing here?" she asked before she could fully process what was going on.

He raised his eyebrows at this. "I could ask the same thing. Do you even know what time it is? How long have you been working today, Salu?"

She glanced up at the clock and then, with a grimace, replied, "Almost eighteen hours, minus breaks for meals."

Concern pulled his lips downward, and briefly she was distracted by this, but she quickly raised her gaze again, hoping he wouldn't notice. If he did, he didn't let it show. "Salu, I know you want to finish this project as soon as possible, but running yourself ragged isn't going to speed up the process. Lack of rest dramatically cuts productivity and creativity. You _know_ this already. You used to scold _me_ about it all the time. Remember?"

She looked away, chewing on her bottom lip. "Yes, I remember."

"And furthermore, in your tired state, aren't you afraid you might miss something? If anything goes off in this accessory, it could seriously injure Garth. Did you ever think of that?"

She raised her gaze again, tears blurring her vision. "No," she whimpered, feeling both ashamed and downright furious with herself. She hadn't even considered this. She'd been so consumed with getting the gadget done within what she considered to be a reasonable amount of time, she hadn't paused to consider the consequences of her potential carelessness. She was doing this to help Garth. Since it was a custom-built piece of machinery, and she was the sole builder this time around, only _she_ could guarantee its safe use. But she couldn't exactly do that unless she was carefully managing every little piece that went into it. And for that, she needed a clear head, which required adequate rest.

Brainy watched her silently for a few moments, his expression shifting several times in subtle ways––too subtle for Salu to process while she was internally berating herself. Then, he finally said, "I think you should consider, at the very least, sleeping in tomorrow. Have a slow start to the morning. Refresh yourself. I've noticed that it hasn't been just this project that you've been working on while running on fumes." His expression softened. "I know, and believe me, I _know_ , how it feels when you feel like you're being forced to slow down for something that seems so trivial as rest. It can be infuriating." His expression became sterner. "But if there's anything I've learned from my time away from the Legion, it's that we can't do all the things we want to do and help all the people we want to help if we don't help ourselves first. We can't give everything we have if we're not prioritizing our health."

"Well," Salu began slowly, hesitantly, "one thing that would make me feel a lot better is if you could help me finish the accessory tomorrow. I would certainly feel better about letting Garth use it if I know that you've at least checked everything."

A small smile graced his lips. "I'm happy to hear that you think so highly of my abilities, even after"––he gestured at his body, at the lack of any robotic parts––"the change happened."

Salu gave him an incredulous expression. "Of course! You're still you!" His eyes brightened at this, despite the way his shoulders were sagging ever so slightly from fatigue. "I think the change has been good for you. It has made you vulnerable on the battlefield, sure, but it has made you better in so many other areas. For example, it has made you better suited for helping people behind the scenes, like you were doing today in the medical bay."

His expression softened even further, and he took a step toward her, his eyes never leaving hers. He continued to walk until he was standing only two feet away from her. He had grown two or three inches since the time he left the Legion, and now Salu had to look slightly up at him as he came closer. She noticed, not for the first time since he had returned, that he had also filled out a bit. She wasn't sure why he had always been skinny before, but perhaps this new change had to do with what he had just mentioned about helping himself before he could help others. Maybe while he had been away he had decided that he wanted to be stronger and bigger. Maybe he had finally been able to focus on what _he_ wanted, rather than always focusing on others. Sure, he had been a bit of an arrogant jerk here and there in the past, but she attributed some of it to his then awkward nature, which had since improved in leaps and bounds. She also figured that the heightened emotions now mixing with his intelligence were mellowing him out a bit.

Caught up in her musings, she hadn't noticed that he had tentatively reached out one of his hands toward her face. She startled when it gently, hesitantly cupped her cheek. She briefly glancing down at it, then back up to his face, her eyes searching his. After a moment, she quietly asked, "What are you doing?"

Brainy's expression became a bit more strained, almost weary. "Do you . . . not like it?" His hand began to move away from her face, but she quickly raised her own hand to keep it in place.

Both of their eyes widened at this, as if surprised by themselves as much as by each other. Then Salu noticed his eyes briefly flicker downward and then back up again. She inhaled sharply, stiffening for a moment, but then made up her mind.

She closed the distance between and then leaned forward, gently pressing her lips against his in the same tentative manner as when he had placed his hand on her cheek. And, to her great delight, he responded without any hesitation this time and immediately leaned into her, placing his free hand on her waist.

Placing her other hand on the side of his neck, she closed the distance even more, pressing her body flush against his and then relaxing in bliss. She couldn't restrain a sigh when he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

They continued like this for a minute or two before Brainy broke the kiss and decided to trail his lips along her jaw, causing her to tilt her head back and her eyes to close again in pleasure. He kissed his way down her neck and was just about to get to her collarbone when his wrist communicator started beeping, indicating someone was trying to reach him. He groaned as he leaned back and look down at the device to see who it was.

Sighing again, Salu couldn't help the frustration that seeped into her tone when she said, "It seems like you're asked for 24/7. No wonder you wanted a break from the Legion."

He glanced up at her with a pensive look, his lips pressed into a thin line. "I didn't leave because of that. I needed––" His comlink beeped again and his shoulders sagged in defeat. He gave her an apologetic look as he took the call. "Sorry, I gotta take this."

"Brainy!" The voice of Matter-Eater Lad boomed through the small device, causing them both to startle. "We need you up in the control room! _Now!_ "

Frowning, Brainy pressed a button to reply. "I'm on my way. What's the problem?"

His worry-stricken reply sent a cold chill down both their spines. "Timber Wolf and Saturn Girl are in trouble."


	6. Chapter 5

"Timber Wolf hasn't been responding, and I heard a scream through Saturn Girl's comlink. There was the sound of an explosion as her comlink cut out. I need you and a team of Legionnaires to go out and find them."

Luornu couldn't help but bite her lip nervously as she listened to Tenzil (M-E Lad) relay the situation details to Brainy via comlink. She was supposed to be monitoring Brin's signal, but there had been no change for the last ten minutes.

Once Tenzil turned off his comlink, he turned to her. "Any change?"

She shook her head. "Evidently, they didn't destroy his comlink like they did with Saturn Girl's, but they must have found a way to take it off him. There's a small possibility that he's just keeping a low profile while keeping an eye on something, but I would think he'd have responded by now if he were doing that."

Tenzil nodded while running a hand through his hair. He let out a long sigh. "I _really_ hope this is just some minor criminal group that feels like being a nuisance. I don't want to be looking at facing something Imperiex-scale for a while. Preferably never."

Luornu hummed in agreement as she checked all of her assigned monitors. In the cafeteria, most of the Legionnaires were still playing games for their Game Night. A few had left after the first game, and another handful were on their way to the control room to receive further details from Tenzil about the new situation. Luorno hoped that the rest of the Legionnaire wouldn't be needed to resolve this. She dearly hoped, like Tenzil, that this was just a rag-tag group of nobodies wanting to stir up some trouble.

But a nagging feeling in her gut was telling her that that wasn't the case. So far, no one who had seen this new group was present, and the fact that they captured two Legionnaires without provocation made her think that whoever was behind this had sinister motivations. Additionally, they had somehow managed to cause an explosion without being seen _and_ had taken both Imra and Brin's comlinks out of commission.

She shook her head, trying to clear it, and rubbed her eyes. The more she thought about it, the less likely it seemed like this was going to end anytime soon . . . or end well.

* * *

Tinya woke with a start. Her room was colder than when she'd fallen asleep––only an hour ago, according to her bedside clock––and now she was shivering.

As she got up to check her room's thermostat, she grumbled about how she was sure she had set it to a pleasant 65 degrees Fahrenheit [18.3 Celsius] before she went to bed. She felt along the wall in the dark until she found the small light emitting from the thermostat. She hit a small button on its side and the screen lit up brighter, allowing her to check the temperature.

She clucked her tongue and frowned in confusion. It said it was set to 65 and that the room was indeed at 65, but it felt much colder than that.

She shivered violently as a sudden burst of cold ran down her spine. An icy hand clamped over her mouth and a second arm wrapped around her arms and waist, pulling her backwards.

Her eyes widened and she tried to phase through the arms trapping her, but somehow she was unable to go through them. And she was held in such a way that she couldn't phase down through the floor.

Fear gripped her.

Whispery laughter broke out around her, and her blood ran cold. She tried again to break free, this time by jostling, and jabbing, and kicking, but to no avail. The hand over her mouth moved up slightly to cover and pinch her nose, cutting off her air completely.

Panicking, she thrashed about even more desperately. The hand clamped down harder, taking the pressure from uncomfortable to painful. Her lungs began to scream for air, and her struggling was only making it worse.

The laughter died down. Tinya stopped struggling, unnerved by the silence. All she could hear now was her own blood rushing in her ears.

Abruptly, the hand over her mouth fell away, but before she could subsequently scream for help, she felt a cold tube pressed against her chin. As she gasped for breath after her near suffocation, she smelled the vapor that wafted up directly into her nose from the tube. It smelled sharp and toxic, and immediately she felt its numbing effects. She began to feel lightheaded, her thoughts became muddled, and her body grew heavy.

The faint sound of knocking reached her ears, but shortly after that, everything went black.

* * *

"Tinya? Tinya, are you awake?"

Garth frowned as he waited for her to either respond or open her door. She had mentioned an hour ago that she was tired and wanted to head to bed, but he figured that this early in the night she might still be easy to wake.

Tenzil had requested that Tinya be part of his investigation team, having not known she'd gone to bed, and now Garth, regretfully, had to wake her.

He knocked again. Still nothing. After a moment, he called, "Tinya, I'm coming in." To the door's AI panel, he said, "Override lock on door. Clearance: Lightning Lad, A02."

The door hissed and then slid open with a small whoosh sound. Inside, the room was completely dark. His frown deepened. Was she really still asleep?

Hesitantly, he commanded, "Lights on."

The room became flooded with light, but a moment later everything went dark again.

Garth's eyes widened in surprise. That had never happened before. He activated his comlink: "Control room, this is Lightning Lad. I'm in Phantom Girl's room because she didn't come to the door. Something weird just happened. I turned on the lights, but they went out. Ask Brainy to check the system. Maybe there's a bug going through it."

A few moments later, Brainy replied, _"The system is fine, but there seems to be some interference going on in her room. I suggest you both exit the room until we can figure out what's going on. If there_ is _a malfunction, we wouldn't want to risk the door locking you both in."_

"Got it." To himself, he smirked. It certainly wouldn't be the end of the world to him to get locked in Tinya's room with her, but right now they were needed elsewhere and he had to stay focused.

He tapped twice against the front of his flight ring, and a small beam of light emitted from it. He pointed it toward where he thought Tinya's bed might be and inhaled sharply when he saw that the bed was empty.

If she wasn't sleeping . . . where was she?

He activated his comlink again and spoke more urgently this time: "Control room, I'm still in Phantom Girl's room. She's not here. Activate her tracker. Something's wrong. She said she'd be here and––mmph!"

An icy hand clamped down over his nose and mouth, cutting off his words and his air. Several pairs of strong hands pinned his arms behind his back. His assailants then applied their weight, and he was forced to his knees, unable to do much to resist. He couldn't attempt to fry them with his powers because he couldn't risk hitting himself with his own lightning bolts. Nevertheless, he thrashed as best he could.

Both Brainy and Tenzil's voices sounded through his comlink: " _Lightning Lad? Lightning Lad! What's going on? Lightning Lad, respond!"_

Garth felt one of his attackers pull his comlink out of his ear, and he grimaced when he heard the subsequent quiet crunch.

Just as his lungs were beginning to really burn from the lack of air, the hand over his nose and mouth was removed. And as he took in a ragged gulp of air, he smelled something he'd never smelled before. He could feel the coldness of the vapor right under his chin and could tell from its painfully sharp smell that it was a strong, toxic, and illegal sedative.

Too late, though, did he react in trying to hold his breath. He could already feel the effects of his first breath of it starting to take effect. His entire body suddenly felt incredibly tired, and he struggled to keep his eyes open. In the darkness of the room, it was difficult to tell if they were still open, and soon he felt them close under the weight of his heavy eyelids.

His thoughts began to cloud, but he could've sworn he heard whispery laughter commence all around him. Unable to concentrate, he felt himself draw in a shuddery breath, and with that added breath, the sedative fully kicked in. Everything went black.

* * *

"Something's blocking the signal. The system isn't getting any information from Phantom Girl's room."

Luornu continued chewing her lip even as it began to bleed. She'd heard Garth's comlink cut out and Tenzil and Brainy's subsequent frantic reactions. By now Tenzil had sent the team intended to go out and search the city to immediately head to Tinya's room to find out what was going on. Meanwhile, Tenzil and Brainy were plucking away at digital keyboards and holographic screens trying to reboot the system.

"Triplicate Girl," Tenzil said, glancing up from his work to address her, "do you think you could round up a new team to go out and find Timber Wolf and Saturn Girl?"

Luornu looked up at him from her monitor with surprise. "Oh! Uh, sure. Of course." She got up stiffly from her seat and headed towards the cafeteria.

Just as she was reaching the doors, they opened and Bouncing Boy flew out. He stopped when he saw her. He began to raise his hand in greeting, but then he noticed her distraught composure. His brows furrowed in concern. "Hey, Luornu. What's wrong?"

She briefly told him what had happened and that she needed to form a new rescue team. Chuck listened to her quietly and patiently, growing more and more concerned.

When she finished, he let out a slow breath. "Woah! It sounds like the two situations are connected somehow. I'd say we need to find the criminals behind this and figure out what their motives and plans are."

Luornu's shoulders sagged with fatigue. While she had taken a nap earlier in the day, these new developments were becoming very draining. "Except that we have to put our teammates first. We can't go looking for the criminals until we've rescued our missing Legionnaires."

Chuck rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he turned his attention back to the cafeteria. "Well, if we recruited everybody participating in the Game Night and separated them into two groups, we could accomplish both."

Luorno's eyes widened, and for the first time that night she felt a loosening in the noose around her heart. Beaming, she said, "That's a great idea, Chuck!"

As she headed into the cafeteria and split into her three counterparts to begin recruiting Legionnaires, she missed the way Chuck blushed at her enthusiastic compliment.

* * *

Imra groaned as she lifted her head off the cold, concrete floor. Her sides still ached, her left arm was numb from being trapped under her against the hard floor, and her head was pounding with a vengeance. As she blinked open her eyes and stiffly, painfully sat up––finding it rather difficult to do since her arms were chained up behind her back––she noticed that she was in a dimly-lit circular room. Every centimeter of the walls seemed to be made of the same concrete as the floor, and the only door in sight was well out of reach.

The quiet clanking of chains off to her right caught her attention, and she turned her head to find Brin chained to a pillar in the inner portion of the room just like she was. He looked like he had been sitting the way he was for a long time, his golden gaze fixed on the room's door. His pupils were mere slits in his eyes, smoldering with silent anger.

Just as she was about to say something to him, he shifted again, his posture straightening, his muscles stiffening, and his eyes staring more intensely at the door. She followed his gaze to it just as it began to open.

Light flooded the room, and both Legionnaires immediately shut their eyes.

After blinking rapidly, Imra managed to catch a blurred image of shadowy figures carrying an unconscious woman into the room. They set her down roughly against another pillar and promptly chained her to it. As they were returning to the door, Imra's vision began to clear and she realized the woman they'd brought in was Tinya.

A couple meters away, she heard Brin inhale sharply. She turned to see that his expression had morphed into one of deep concern and desperation to go over to Tinya and see to it that she was all right. And, after a few moments, when it began to set in that he couldn't, his expression returned to one of seething fury as he pinned his gaze on the door once more.

Imra looked over at Tinya again, but her friend was completely still aside from her shallow breathing. Her head was slumped forward with her chin resting over her collarbone. It appeared as though she was still in some sort of nightgown, and Imra came to the conclusion that she must have somehow been captured in her room at the HQ.

Her blood ran cold at the thought. These criminals had infiltrated the Legion HQ? That sounded very ominous. She turned to Brin to discuss this, but the opening of the door interrupted her again.

This time she saw the blurred image of the shadowy figures dragging in an unconscious man, clearly not bothering to show as much meager curtesy that they had shown Tinya by carrying her in. They dragged the man off to Imra's left and chained him to a pillar a couple meters away. Once the door closed again and her vision cleared, she couldn't help but gasp.

It was Garth!

How could this have happened? How could one of the most powerful and experienced of Legionnaires have been captured? Where was he when they nabbed him? Was he alone? Did they ambush him? Overwhelm him with numbers?

The questions burned inside her mind, but she knew from the stillness of his body that she wouldn't be able to get answers out of him anytime soon.

To her right, Brin growled, "It's been like this ever since I woke up––first you, only ten minutes after I sat up, and now Tinya and Garth, a few minutes apart, hardly an hour later. A steady trickle."

Imra paused to consider this, then asked, "What do you think they want?"

His gaze briefly flickered to her face, but then returned to the door. "I don't know, but I don't like it. There's not a mark on any of you three, and only the barest trace of sweat, which means none of you had much opportunity to fight or escape. And as far as me goes: I don't even remember being attacked. I was in an alley, had just gotten a whiff of those creatures again, and then the next thing I know I'm waking up here. Somehow they got the drop on me and knocked me out." He lifted his arms a few centimeters, letting the chains clank against each other. "These are regular chains, which shouldn't be strong enough to contain me." His gaze turned to hers and sharpened with an intensity she had not seen in a long time. It scared her. The last time his eyes had looked this, he'd been on the verge of going into his feral mode. "Imra, try using your power to read my mind."

Imra frowned, not liking where this was going. Nevertheless, she tried to activate her telepathic ability, but found that she couldn't. Her eyes widened, and her breathing quickened as she began to realize what Brin was getting at.

He silently watched her come to the same conclusion he had. Even so, he stated it aloud: "Grimbor's anti-powers weapon. Either these criminals have it or have created something like it. They must have zapped each of us while we were out, or maybe even when they initially attacked us."

Imra bit her lip. "If that's the case, I really hope the Legion figures out what's going on soon." She grimaced as she changed her sitting position. "Otherwise, we're gonna be in for a very unpleasant and very long stay here."

* * *

 **Author's Note: So the fifth couple, as you can see, is Triplicate Girl (Luornu) and Bouncing Boy (Chuck). They will eventually have a romantic scene, but it will be later. Meanwhile, their relationship, as well as the other couples' relationships, will develop as a side plot to the overall story, which will be the Legion's fight to bring down these new mysterious criminals that have made a public entrance in the galaxy.**

 **Thanks for reading! :)**


End file.
